Post navigation

Superstar or Has Been? | Career Tips to Stay On Top

The rush is in the reaching. Ask any athlete whose career is on the rise. Every day is about putting it all out there for the team, the fans, and the games they love. Winning is the driver, the measure of their contribution and achievement.

Their personal value rises when they:

win a championship

get selected for the All-Star Team

receive Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors

There’s nothing quite like attaining superstar status, especially in our careers. It’s exciting, often representing the reward for years of struggle and hard work.

The moment we’re tapped as “best” is when our career life changes.

The meaning of the moment

When we’re recognized, we’re elated. We bask in the:

Public recognition of our value

Upcoming opportunities to showcase our talents

Access to company leaders

Deference and/or congratulations from our coworkers

Our moment passes quickly, though, just like the All-Star Game or that “I’m going to Disney World” TV shot. What follows are new challenges.

At work superstars are usually considered “comers“—high potential performers and/or succession plan designees. They’re the company’s MVPs.

Their status is generally achieved through performance results over time and the endorsement of the leadership, not necessarily in equal measure.

The bottom line: Someone thinks you have “it” and the company wants to put “it” to the test and benefit from the outcome.

Superstar moments launch new expectations for more and better performance like:

Delivering significant outcomes on more complex projects

Assuming greater levels of authority and responsibility

Demonstrating tolerance for stress and the ability to perform under fire

Engaging effectively with powerful influencers

Negotiating with high profile customers or political officials

You know what happens in sports: Last year’s MVP needs to increase on-field performance or hear about how s/he has declined. This year’s baseball All Star better hit well during the second half of the season or be questioned.

Once we’re designated as a high potential player at work, if we don’t live up to expectations, we can fall out of favor and see our careers go downhill.

Avoiding “has been-ship”

It’s difficult to get recognized as a top performer and even harder to sustain it.

In our jobs, success measures combine the objective and the subjective, the concrete and the abstract. But they count just as much as batting averages or yards per carry.

To keep your superstar status up, these actions are essential:

Remain relevant—Keep your knowledge, skills, and experiences ahead of the curve by staying up on innovation, politics, economic issues, and industry challenges; Be the voice of “what’s coming”

Maintain strong connections—Leverage is essential; Build, tighten, and expand your relationships in every direction, both inside and outside your company; Create allies and be one

Engage employees—The ability to build and sustain a positive, can-do group of employees, engaged in their work, performing professionally, with little drama, and without giving away the store cements your value

Stay in the mix—Be there. Make sure you have a seat at the table. It helps to be likeable, a source of proper levity, and a voice of reason. When decisions don’t feel right to others unless you’ve been consulted, that’s a plus.

Keep a clear head

The rarefied air of superstardom at work can muddle our thinking unless we’re careful. Being recognized is important and when we get it, we should enjoy and value it. Our next moves, though, need to be informed and steady. Getting to the top is only the first step. Staying there is often the bigger one. Go for it!

2 thoughts on “Superstar or Has Been? | Career Tips to Stay On Top”

Once again, great insights Dawn! I’m thinking that in today’s difficult economy and competitive work environment, many of the components of your suggestions might be necessary to just to remain employed let alone achieve and maintain “superstar” status.

Great observation, Ted. How right you are! The right behaviors and approaches do help us keep our jobs and also move up. It’s all up to us and there aren’t any reliable short cuts. Thanks for another insightful comment. ~Dawn